NEEDLEWORK AROUND MY HOME

I couldn't wait to do a post and show off my "new look." I hope you like the blog background!
This first picture is the lace scarf in progress. I decided to use the "Colorado Cotton Candy" yarn that I spun in the stripes between the lace panels of Icelandic. The pattern is from a book I got for Christmas. Very subtle color variations. The colors reminded me of my dining room.....and so......

Next are two pictures of a set of four--embroideries that I did a few years ago. Very delicate colors and tiny, tiny stitches. I really like these. The kit was given to me by a friend and all four hang in our dining room by the front door.

This next embroidery is larger and hangs between the set of four. It took a long, long time to complete. I got it clearance for about $5 and it was a kit too. The year I completed it, I framed it about an hour before the entries closed at our county fair. I took it in and won the Judge's Choice ribbon that year--a great honor since there is only one Judge's Choice for the entire needlework building--quilts and everything. They told me it was a very close race between this and another item. I love this, but am not sure it deserved the prize against the other lovely things that were there that year. I wish I was a better photographer and could capture the tiny details for you to see. There is candlewick lace design between each motif and some of the flowers have an almost three-dimensional look.

I did this next embroidery when I was about 13. My aunt and uncle gave me this kit for my birthday and I enjoyed it so much. It needs to be reframed, but $$$ prevent me from undertaking the professional process it deserves. I have many other items waiting for framing as well.

Some antique plates that adorn my dining room wall on one side of my big china cabinet. These hang right near the next embroidery. The bottom one is from a very old family set. I love transferware.

A sampler (kit) that I made as a young girl and finished after years of neglect. I LOVE this one. It reads, "Long Life Sampler" "Be cheerful, thankful, loving true. A brighter day will dawn for you. Of rest and labor take your share, eat simple food and breathe pure air." Good advice!

The Long Life sampler with more antique plates surrounding it. The bottom framed item is an ancient church symbol depicting Christ, the suffering servant--the lamb in the thorns. When I first saw this symbol as an outline on the Mennonite hymnal, I knew I had to try to execute the design in bobbin lace. I enlarged the shape and made a pattern, completing the lacework in free form, no pattern.

So, there's a sampling of my samplers and some other needlework! I guess you can tell how old I am since the craze for samplers was kind of a 70's trend with the Bi-centennial celebration of our nation. I really did a lot of them in those days, many of which were given away or sold. I have never lost my appetite for them and now have several more kits in my sewing room closet--I mean like a LOT of them! Blessings, LORI

REPLETE WITH RIBBONS--WELL, NOT EXACTLY

Here's the picture of the ribbon results from last week's county fair. I had a good year, but not an outstanding one. More blue ribbons than red, no white ones, but no "big" ribbons either. I am always working for the Judge's Choice in the different categories since the ribbon is huge, and represents a major distinction. Plus, it pays a much larger dividend and who can't use that?

Our fair is paying premiums of 70% of the former rates since the state had to pull all the funding for county fairs during the economic crisis. At least that's the way I understand it. Still I got a nice little check when all was said and done and not having a job, every little bit is like gold to me. A friend of mine has a goal of entering 50 items and this year she had over 30. I think I'll set that kind of goal for next year. I have one item in mind that I've thought of making for years. It's a huge tatted tablecloth that has over 2500 individual motifs in its design. I would hope against hope for a Judge's Choice on that one and it would be crushing if it didn't happen! Maybe someday I'll get it completed!

Just by way of description, the large picture in the back is embroidery and cross stitch-a blue ribbon. (That was a surprise to me!) Sophie's dedication dress and overcoat is next to it--a blue ribbon. Two little ovals in front of the big picture are pressed flowers on velvet--I make a set every year and have won Judge's Choice in the past. This year I got a blue ribbon on those. In front of that is the little embroidered oval picture that I posted in a picture of the "farm corner" before. I could only enter one and I chose the covered bridge. It won a blue. Underneath that is a crocheted table runner that got no ribbon. I didn't quite understand that one, but that's the way the ribbon awarding goes. Sophie's little knit hat that I designed is next to that--no ribbon--truthfully I was very disappointed on that one. My long knitted "ribbon" made of scrap yarn and recently pictured on another post of the "European Corner" drew a red ribbon. The large garment is several years old. It's a Civil War costume pattern that I decided to use for everyday wear. Actually only the top is the pattern. I think I just made the skirt from two pieces of straight fabric-no pattern. It received a blue. My knitted fingerless gloves are next to the dress and they got a red. Somewhere in all that is a tiny bobbin lace bookmark, barely visible. It's on another post as well--it received a blue and was the only comparable item in the entire needlework barn. The judge wrote a note on the entry tag, "Beautiful!" I always consider it a privilege to receive a written compliment from a judge because it rarely happens.

It's always nice to receive earthly rewards and recognitions, but let's face it--what we really want is to hear, "well done, good and faithful servant," at the end of our lives, is it not? The crowns we will receive to lay at Jesus' feet are the real important awards. Someday all these items and ribbons will fade away and only the eternal matters. We should be working hard for the kingdom of God while we have breath in us. Blessings, LORI

COUNTRY COMFORTS

The house and barns had been completely painted now and their fresh, clean colors offered a stark contrast to the fading landscape all around.
from "The Fields of May"


I wanted to share a few pictures with you today to show you what I've been up to. I recently finished these two embroidered miniature pictures after someone gave me the kits years ago. They always appealed to me, but I thought they would be a big project. Turns out they were relatively easy to do and very pretty when done. I was thrilled to hang them upstairs in my "country farm corner," in the big open hall area. Couldn't get everything in this last picture, but the large framed painting is a rooster and red barn. The black framed picture between the new embroideries is a couple of chickens looking out through the wire in their barn window. This was taken on one of our trips to Tennessee! Sitting right below the weather vane is a rusty iron chicken planter on wheels that sits in a transferware bowl and pitcher. I have baby's breath in the chicken planter! Sorry I couldn't get that in the picture!

How about a little recipe suggestion for this wintry, day in the country? Yesterday I made something new. Actually I made it up and thought you might enjoy it as well. Here's what I did. I took about three-four frozen boneless, skinless, chicken breasts and put them in the crock pot on low early in the day, turning it up to high later. After they were cooked and bubbling I added a can of cream of chicken soup, some pepper, and about half a can of tomato sauce. I stirred it up and let it cook for a while longer on low. The chicken tended to flake apart easily after awhile. I turned the crock pot down (I have a 'keep warm" feature) and added about a cup of sour cream (only because I didn't have cream cheese, which I would have preferred!). Before supper I cooked up some fancy pasta and served the chicken mixture over the top! Easy meal. Everyone said it was good. I was thinking that I could now take the pasta and chicken, add milk and Italian seasoning, cook on low in the crock pot and have soup for a second meal! It was a great combination of flavors with an elegant twist for very little effort. Try it and let me know if you liked it!

What else am I doing lately? Well, writing, enjoying my new book that is now in print--hurray! and lots of needlework. Started a very unique pair of gloves for JT and am working on dedication dresses (heirloom style) for the little granddaughters.

I might be speaking or "tag team speaking" with Clint this Sunday as he preaches on the gifts of the Holy Spirit from 1 Corinthians. Pray for me if you think of it--I haven't exactly consented and given him a 'yes' answer yet, so the details and studying are not worked out yet. However, this subject is very close to my heart and intriguing to me. I am looking forward to studying the examples that are in the Bible--there are many--where even in the Old Testament, the prophets were obviously functioning by the Holy Spirit and doing ministry enabled by His power. As well as that, you can read through the book of Acts after reading and studying the list in 1 Corinthians and see the obvious--that the people in the early church and the miracles we read about were manifestations of the Holy Spirit--the gifts in operation! It is really a cool study. Blessings, LORI